Body Image & Eating Disorders

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All rights reserved, Marcie Wiseman, Ph.D. Clinical Psychology Associates of North Central Florida 2121 NW 40th Terrace Suite B Gainesville, FL 32605 352-336-2888

Messages about Food

What messages have you received (from parents, peers, media, etc.) about food? How are messages about food different for women and men?

Some statistics

Eating disorders have increased threefold in the last 50 years 10% of the population is afflicted with an eating disorder 90% of the cases are young women and adolescent girls Up to 21% of college women show sub-threshold symptoms 61% of college women show some sort of eating pathology

Three Types of Eating Disorders

Anorexia nervosa- characterized by a pursuit of thinness that leads to selfstarvation Bulimia nervosa- characterized by a cycle of bingeing followed by extreme behaviors to prevent weight gain, such as purging. Binge-eating disorder- characterized by regular bingeing, but do not engage in purging behaviors.

Anorexia Nervosa

Begins with individuals restricting certain foods, not unlike someone who is dieting

Restrict high-fat foods first Food intake becomes severely limited

More on anorexia nervosa

May exhibit unusual behaviors with regards to food.

preoccupied with thoughts of food, and may show obsessive-compulsive tendencies related to food
may

adopt ritualistic behaviors at mealtime. may collect recipes or prepare elaborate meals for others.

Bulimia Nervosa

Qualitatively distinct from anorexia

A binge may or may not be planned

characterized by binge eating

The binge generally lasts until the individual is uncomfortably or painfully full

marked by a feeling of being out of control

Bulimia Nervosa

Common triggers for a binge

dysphoric mood interpersonal stressors Intense hunger after a period of intense dieting or fasting feelings related to weight, body shape, and food are common triggers to binge eating

Bulimia Nervosa

Feelings of being ashamed after a binge are common

behavior is kept a secret

Tend to adhere to a pattern of restricted caloric intake

usually prefer low-calorie foods during times between binges

More on bulimia nervosa

Later age at the onset of the disorder Are able to maintain a normal weight Will not seek treatment until they are ready

Most

deal with the burden of hiding their problem for many years, sometimes well into their 30s

Two subtypes

purging type

self-induced vomiting and laxatives as a way to get rid of the extra calories they have taken in

non-purging type

use a period of fasting and excessive exercise to make up for the binge

Anorexia

Risk of Death:

The Deadliest of all Psychological Disorders

Risk Factors for developing an eating disorder

Personality/psychological
Family Media Subcultures

factors

influence existing within our

society

Personality/Psychological Factors
Sense of self worth based on weight Use food as a means to feel in control Dichotomous & rigid thinking Perfectionism Poor impulse control Inadequate coping skills

Protective personality Factors

Nonconformity Having a feminist ideology High self-esteem Belief that body weight and shape are out of ones control Self-perception of being thin

Media and Cultural Factors

Culture bound syndrome

Belief that being thin is the answer to all problems is prevalent in western culture

Media and Cultural Factors

Bulimia can be influenced by social norms

It can be seen as a behavior, which is learned through modeling

Women who are seen as being attractive by societies standards can be very susceptible to eating disorders as well

Media and Cultural Factors

Media images are inescapable

devastating when we see idealized images in the media and feel they do not meet the expectations of our society

Frequent readers of fashion magazines are two to three times more likely than infrequent readers to be dieting

Historical Beauty Ideals

The Celebrity Thin Ideal

The Unreal Ideal

http://homepage.mac.com/gapodaca/digital /bikini/bikini1.html http://demo.fb.se/e/girlpower/retouch/retouc h/

Jamie Lee Curtis

The Thin-Ideal

The avg. model weighs 23% less than the avg. American woman Longitudinal study from 19791988 showed that 69% of playboy models and 60% of Miss America contestants met weight criteria for anorexia Womens bodies in the media have become increasingly thinner

The Impact on Women

One study showed that 55% of college women thought that they were overweight though only 6% were 94% of one sample of women wanted to be smaller than they currently were
96% thought that they were larger than the current societal ideal Half the women in a study said they would rather be hit by a truck than be fat

Challenges to treatment

Lack of motivation to change

intrinsically reinforced by the weight loss, because it feels good to them may deny the existence of the problem, or the severity of it

Lack of insight

Not really about food.